So...just today I got "confirmation" that I am indeed attending AA this year.

Since lots of posters here are based in the UK, I believe this will be a good "assembly" point effort.

So, who's going, and when? I know Denyer is thinking about it, what about the rest?

I have a weekend pass, but *might* also be there from Friday, unclear yet.

Anybody else attending? Where will you be staying? Which days?

Convention-related questions; when are the autograph sessions? In dealer tables, should I expect UK store pricing or lower? Depends on the dealer? Fan trades okay? Just trying to get a feel on how much cash should I be carrying.

Not much idea on the details... will be there Saturday, going to try to make it for the start, Dalek's there for the weekend and was planning to meet him around that point/time.

Dealers are, I assume, mostly stuff that isn't at UK retail, so I'd guess higher. Not a great deal I'm after toy-wise, most already pre-ordered, but if they've got the original Demolition Crue pair that'd be a maybe, plus some artist/writer convention-specific stuff, would like to get something signed by James Roberts, etc. Otherwise I'm pretty easy, no real plans.

Apparently some dealers should have card facilities... otherwise there're definitely cash points nearby at the NEC / Birmingham International rail station. I've been to the venue before a few times, but for work. Am likely to drive and then get train into B'ham.

Probably best to exchange numbers via FB or something over the next few days.

Me and my sister will be there from Friday and we'll leave Sunday evening or so.

Not sure if here's anything I'd definitely like to buy, an MP V2 Rodimus would be out of my price range at the moment, same for a TRU Soundwave...unless something really impresses me I think I'll settle, if at all, for a FOC Bruticus [G2 or takara, preferably].

Probably going to bring my LSOTW Hardback for signing, along with MTMTE V1...

If this were to happen someplace much closer where the bulk of my collection is, I'd bring about figures for trades

Though I don't think either of them have posted for a while, both Clogs (who runs the desk) and Opimus skids are there most years as well.

Plus very infrequent posters like Chris McFeely and Drivaar.

If anyone has ever thought "I'd like to know more about people's thoughts on Auto Assembly, as conveyed through a badly shot YouTube video of a mumbling man who has badly misjudged where the camera eye is in his tablet, with a really groan inducing Mike Costa joke thrown in for good measure" then I'm currently uploading the YouTube video that is just for you.

Oh, and in terms of guest autographs, they're pretty much at their desks all day bar when they go do panels/eat/shag an attendee (allegedly , naming no names but he has a name rhyming with Mcott ScNiel), and autographs are free (though most of them have stuff for sale you can get signed, and artists charge for sketches).

The trick with dealers is none of them want to take any stock home with them, if you try and hold off till Sunday for the more expensive items you'll haggle a decent discount.

But of course, the tension comes over whether or not they'll sell out before you make your move. It's as dramatic as an episode of 24.

Often playing the "There's a dealer over there selling this five pounds cheaper, how about six pounds less if I get it from you?" card will work as well.

There's probably a wacky sitcom somewhere in Two Stuarts, A Greek and His Sister.

In terms of my own bagsies, I want a Springer, and maybe a TRU Soundwave if there are any and they're roughly rightly priced. Nick Roche is apparently bringing a bit of Spotlight: Megatron and MTMTE 6 art to sell (along with Infestation, but I'm not so hot on that) which I may have a punt at depending on price.

If anyone has missed the update, all round nice bloke Geoff Senior is now attending as well.

Trailbreaker looked pretty good in TRU. I'd already got one in the mail by that point.

inflatable dalek wrote:maybe a TRU Soundwave if there are any and they're roughly rightly priced.

Yeah, ditto, but I doubt it. Not in massive rush.

inflatable dalek wrote:If anyone has missed the update, all round nice bloke Geoff Senior is now attending as well.

Just saw on Facebook... angling to get the same copy of End of the Road I've got Furman and Wildman signatures in rounded out, in that case. That has been a bit of a grail, and not something that's seemed realistic before now.

Could go for SL:Megs art, possibly.

Think I'll just bring that TPB and Eugenesis... can get prints/sketches/scripts for signatures.

Are you still bringing those G2 issues?

Effectively a non-smoker these days, never really took it up as a habit in the first place... I just lived with stoners through university. Happy to get fresh air, though, there's only so much dealer-room stuff you can do at conventions.

Now just need to get through the week and catch up on sleep a bit, in the interest of not coming across like a more negative version of Spider Jerusalem.

So that was a fun weekend, Denyer and Knightdramon are both cool dudes, as is Knightdramon's charming sister. There should be some nice "proper" pictures along soon, but for now here's my own photo of those three, see if you can guess who is who:

In other news: James Roberts reads our discussion threads on MTMTE (well, he reads all the forums, but I like to think we're special). He is also aware of my website, so you should all read it so you can be aware of it as well.

This was the year when I'd reached the point where Roberts remembered having met me before. It made the whole stalking thing much harder I can tell you. He jokingly (at least I think jokingly, the chloroform was kicking in at that point) commentated on how I've been slightly unfair in the amount of times I've compared his plot points to things from Red Dwarf (though this was a few hours after he'd pointed out the pods in Last Stand of the Wreckers were based on the front section of Starbug).

So just for fun, we should torment him by using the MTMTE 20 thread to try and find a Red Dwarf comparison in every panel.

Auntie Slag wrote:Also in that photo you linked to, is that Repugnus on the table?

Mmm. Still not entirely sure why the figure has the backpack.

Tempted to find something highly flammable and see if I can get the flint sparks (which still work a bit) to make it catch. Our generation got all of the fun gimmicks back in the day.

Also got Eugenesis and a favourite page of a US #75 reprint signed by Mssrs Roberts and Senior respectively, which really made the day. And a print of Megatron beating the snot out of Springer, which I assume has something to do with Regeneration One* but was just a nice classic bit of art. Will probably have a look at ReGen when it's finished, if Furman puts a reasonable ending on it.